Underreamer.



W. C. CUTLER.

UNDERREAMER.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 6. 1917.

Patented May 8, 1917.

WILLIAM C. CUTLER; OF NORTH GLENDALE, CALIFORNIA.

UNDERREAIVIER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 8, 1917.

App1ication filed March 6, 1917. Serial No.152,856.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM C. CUTLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at North Glendale, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Underreamers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in under-reamers and more particularly to safety means for under-reamers.

One object of the invention is to simplify the assembling and disconnection of parts.

Another object is to provide a plain inexpensive key for holding the operating parts of an under-reamer securely within the body.

Another object is to provide means for holding the plain key in position by the tension of the spring in such under-reamers.

The invention consists in the construction and combination of parts hereafter de scribed and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

Referring to the drawing,

Figure 1 is a fragmentary vertical sectional View of a portion of a reamer body with the several operating parts and my safety devices inserted.

Fig. 2 is a similar view of another type of under-reamer.

Fig. 3 is the plan view of my safety ring, seen in the direction of the arrows 33.

Corresponding parts in all figures are designated by the same reference characters.

In Fig. 1, a designates the hollow body of an under-reamer, 5 and 6 the cutters, and 7 the spring actuated rod, mandrel, or holder for the cutters. A spring 8 is mounted on the mandrel 7 below the nut 9 and the washer 10. This construction is similar to the devices shown in the patents to Wilson, #1,183,15lissued May 16th, 1916, and to l3ole#1,080,135issued Dec. 2nd, 1913, which I wish to improve by substituting my improved devices for the key and safety means of those patents.

I prefer to substitute a plain pin or gib 11 which is held in position by a spring actuated ring 12. The ring 12 has a bore 13 slidingly fitted on the mandrel, and the outside 14: of the ring fits slidingly within the bore 16 of the reamer body, and, while the upper surface 17 of the ring forms the support for the spring 8, the lower surface .18 is provided with a raised circular edge 15, which rests in corresponding notches 19 in the gib 11.

The ring 12 with the spring 8 is completely mounted with the mandrel 7 and the cutters 5 and 6, and thus inserted into the bore 16 of'the body. The gib 11 is then driven intov a suitable slot in the body and mandrel which is facilitated by having cut off the'front corners 20 from the gib 11. By forcing the cut off corners of the gib under the raised edge 15, the ring 12 is easily lifted allowing the gib to slip into the position shown in the drawing, when the spring 8 presses the ring with the edge 15 into the notches 19 in the gib preventing the gib from disengaging.

To disconnect the tool, the gib is simply driven back, as a sidewise blow on the gib will cause the V-shaped raised edge 15 to easily disengage from the V-shaped recesses 19 in the gib, but under normal conditions down in the well the gib will naturally not receive any sidewise blows, and this device will therefore form safety means and connecting means for such under-reamers.

In Fig. 2 is a modified construction of my devices constructed to be used in underreamers of the type patented to Grant and Campbell#1,169,922Feb. 1st, 1916.

The center block or holder 22 is normally inserted into the body 21 against the bottom 24 of the bore 25 in the body, and held in this position or within the body by a pin 26.

My pin 26 is a plain straight round pin having a recess 27, which is shown in the drawing in V-shape, but it will easily be understood that this recess can be Wider or nearly U-shaped as long as'the sides are sloping or inclined, similar to the sides in "the V-shaped recess shown in the drawing.

The top of the center block I bore out to a similar extent to form an annular recess 27. Into this recess and fitting into the bore of the center block I insert an engaging member 28. Near the upper edge of the engaging member 28 I provide a shoulder 29 for engaging with the annular recess 27 to locate the lower end 30 of the engaging member just above the pin 26. In the surface of the lower end 30 I provide a raised edge 31 to engage with the recess 27 in the pin. A recess 32 formed in the engaging member from the top end downwardly serves as a compartment for a spring 33, which operates the engaging member, holdthe main detail parts of the invention are a plain key provided With suitable means,

in combination With a spring actuated engaging or locking member, engaging With the key holding the key engaged Within the reamer body under the tension of the spring, the key easily disengaging from the engaging or looking member by a sidewise applied bloW on the end of the key thereby disconnecting the Whole reamer; and it Will easily be understood that other means can be used, besides the described recess in the key, as long as the interlocking of the key and the locking means is accomplished.

I claim 1. In an under-reamer comprising a body, cutters yieldingly mounted on the body, and operating means connected to the cutters, the combination of a key loosely mounted in the reamer connecting the body and operating means having recesses suitably provided. in the surface of the key, and

locking means yieldingly inserted in the reamer engaging with the recesses in the key for holding the cutters and operating means in operative position in the reamer.

2. In an under-reamer comprising body, cutters and connecting members, the combination of a key having a suitable number of recesses provided suitably in its surfaces, and locking means yieldingly inserted in the reamer having a raised edge for engaging with the recesses in'the key, the interlocking of the key and the locking means being arranged in relation to theseveral parts of the reamer for yieldingly holding the several parts in operative poslthe reamer for yieldingly holding the several parts in operative position in the reamer. V

4. In an under-reamer of the type described comprising body, cutters and connecting members, the combination of a key loosely mounted in said body and operatively connecting said body and said con necting members having interlocking means provided in its surface, and locking means yieldingly inserted in said body having interlocking means for engaging With the interlocking means in the key locking the key within the reamer.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand at Los Angeles, California, this 27th day of February, 1917;

WILLIAM C. CUTLER.

In presence of- LUOIEN GRAY, 7 EVALYN N. SPARKS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

